Intensive forestry operations can cause soil compaction. This negatively impacts soil structure and water movement, particularly in mountain forest ecosystems. This study examined the effects of repeated passes of forestry machinery on the soil physical properties, pore system, and water retention characteristics of Dystric Cambisol loam soil in a natural lower montane forest in southern Poland. Soil samples were collected from control (non-compacted) areas and from machine wheel tracks exposed to different traffic intensities (1, 4, >6 passes, and permanent skidding trails) at two depths (0-10 and 10-20 cm). Bulk density, total porosity, pore size distribution, and soil water retention characteristics were determined using undisturbed soil cores and pressure plate measurements. Low traffic intensity (1 and 4 passes) did not significantly affect soil physical or hydraulic properties compared with the control. In contrast, intensive machinery traffic and permanent skidding trails caused a significant increase in bulk density and a reduction in total porosity, particularly in the 0-10 cm soil layer. These changes were associated with marked modifications in pore size distribution, including a substantial decrease in macropores and large mesopores (0.5-50 & micro;m), which are essential for plant water availability. Alterations in the pore system were reflected in reduced field capacity, available water capacity, and unfavourable relative field capacity values, indicating impaired soil air-water relations under high traffic intensity. In the 10-20 cm layer, soil physical and hydraulic properties were largely unaffected by machinery traffic. The results demonstrate that repeated and intensive machinery passes during forestry operations pose a significant risk to soil structural integrity and water retention in mountain forest soils. Restricting traffic intensity and confining machinery movement to designated skid trails are essential measures to mitigate soil degradation and support sustainable forest management.
Dead wood, particularly coarse woody debris (CWD), is a key structural component of forest ecosystems, supporting biodiversity, carbon storage, and nutrient cycling. Its quantity and quality are strongly shaped by forest management, species composition, and stand development. This study assessed the volume, structure, and decomposition stages of dead wood in Roztocze National Park (RNP), with a particular focus on the effects of conservation regime, stand age, species composition, and stand density. Field data were collected in summer 2019 on 315 circular plots (0.04 ha each) distributed systematically across the RNP. Dead wood was inventoried as standing dead wood, lying dead wood, and stumps, classified by tree species, diameter classes, and five stages of decomposition. Statistical analyses were conducted using general linear models to identify the main drivers of dead wood abundance and structure. The mean volume of dead wood across the Park was 44.8 m(3)ha(-1), with a wide range (0-345 m(3)ha(-1)). Lying dead wood accounted for 62% of total CWD volume, standing dead wood for 33%, and stumps for 5%. Most dead wood consisted of large-diameter elements (>20 cm), which are particularly important for saproxylic organisms. Silver fir had the highest contribution of dead wood, followed by European beech, despite Scots pine being the most common tree species in the stands. Dead wood resources were strongly influenced by the conservation regime: strictly protected stands contained over three times more dead wood (115.5 m(3)ha(-1)) than actively managed stands (37.1 m(3)ha(-1)). Stand age and dominant tree species were significant predictors of dead wood volume and decomposition stage, while basal area had no significant effect. Older stands and strictly protected areas were characterised by higher proportions of advanced decay stages. The results demonstrate that long-term strict protection substantially enhances both the quantity and ecological quality of dead wood. Nevertheless, the relatively low-intensity management applied in the active protection zone also maintains dead wood volumes close to biodiversity thresholds reported for temperate European forests. These findings highlight the importance of stand age, species composition, and conservation regime in shaping dead wood dynamics in protected forest landscapes.
The aim of the study was to examine the impact of forestry studies on the social construction of the forester's professional identity and assess the perceived alignment between academic education and the structural requirements of professional practice as articulated by students. The main research question was: how do forestry studies shape the image and normative framing of the forester's profession and how is the adequacy of the educational programme for professional practice evaluated by students? It was hypothesised that forestry studies exert a significant positive influence on the perception of the forester's profession and are perceived as largely aligned with professional requirements. The study adopted a quantitative design, employing a diagnostic survey in a repeated cross-sectional framework conducted in October 2023, 2024, and 2025. It encompassed independent cohorts of first-year students at the Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Krakow (N=188, N=162, N=158). The online questionnaire included questions about the image of a forester developed during their studies, the alignment of knowledge and competencies with professional requirements, the importance of forest functions, and the reactions of family and friends to their choice of field of study. The analysis relied on descriptive statistics (response counts and frequencies) and did not employ inferential procedures, given the non-probabilistic character of the sample and the exploratory-descriptive aim of the study. Analysis of the results from three study groups and a literature review allowed for the formulation of key conclusions. The findings indicate that studies primarily reinforce positive evaluations of foresters' professional and organisational competences, whereas in socio-political and ideological domains they more frequently generate critical or neutral orientations. Forestry education contributes to the ongoing professionalisation of the occupational field while neither eliminating nor fully neutralising its structurally embedded controversies. Discrepancies between curricular content and student expectations were identified, indicating areas requiring structural adjustment to enhance graduates' preparedness for profes-sional challenges. Reactions of family members and friends to the choice of forestry studies were predominantly positive, irrespective of the respondents' place of residence. The study captures the perspectives of a younger generation increasingly conscious of its agency within social media and public policy discourses, thereby enabling cautious projections regarding the future devel-opment of forest governance and human resource management in the sector. Most respondents positively assessed the adequacy of education, knowledge, teaching skills, and research activities for the scope of tasks performed in a forester's work, with differences evident based on place of residence and gender. The results contribute to the broader discourse on the social perception of the forester's profession and may inform the development of forestry education responsive to both student expectations and labour market dynamics. The findings provide a basis for formu-lating recommendations concerning curricular modification, for the preliminary identification of inter-cohort shifts in the perception of the profession, and for strengthening institutional support for first-year students in meeting their academic and cognitive needs.
Slime moulds (Eumycetozoa) are important components of forest detrital systems, yet the lowland forests of north-eastern Poland remain poorly documented. We present an integrated inventory of Myxomycetes (Myxogastria) and Protosporangiida from two forest nature reserves in the Masurian Lakeland (G & aogon;zwa and D & eogon;bowo), based on route-based field surveys and moist chamber cultures. Sporocarps were identified using light microscopy following standard morphological criteria. The 492 collection records comprised 66 taxa: 62 myxogastrian species, two varieties, and two species of Ceratiomyxa. Taxon richness was 45 in D & eogon;bowo and 49 in G & aogon;zwa, with 28 taxa recorded in both reserves. Frequent taxa included Lycogala epidendrum, Fuligo septica var. septica, Physarum album and Arcyria cinerea. Badhamia affinis and Licea kleistobolus are newly recorded for north-eastern Poland, and 33 taxa are newly recorded for the Masurian Lakeland. Incidence was strongly right- skewed, with few common and many rare taxa. Lignicolous substrates supported the highest local richness and diversity, whereas other substrate classes generally harboured fewer taxa; no clear monotonic relationship was detected between richness and mean soaking-water pH across by ecological substrate class; this pattern is interpreted descriptively given the non-probabilistic sampling design. Our results provide the first substrate-resolved checklist and baseline dataset for Eumycetozoa in these reserves and highlight the value of combining field surveys with moist chamber cultures in under-surveyed lowland forests.
Black cherry Prunus serotina is one of the most widespread invasive tree species in Europe, exerting a substantial influence on the structure and functioning of native forest ecosystems. Its presence alters nutrient cycling, soil properties, and competitive interactions among tree species, thereby reducing biodiversity and limiting the regenerative capacity of forest habitats. Particularly important is the impact of its nutrient-rich, rapidly decomposing leaf litter, which may significantly modify the availability of macro-and microelements and shape the growth conditions of native tree species. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of P. serotina leaf mulch on soil chemical prop-erties and on the content of selected macro-and microelements in the leaves of native tree species, analysed under two light conditions. The study used one-year-old seedlings of four tree species: Acerplatanoides, Acerpseudoplatanus, Pinus sylvestris, and P. serotina, which were cultivat-ed individually in a peat-based substrate under two light regimes in a controlled pot experi-ment. Leaf mulch of P. serotina was applied in three variants (0 g, 40 g, 150 g per pot), and bio-metric measurements of seedling height and root collar diameter were conducted over two con-secutive growing seasons. Soil and leaf samples were subjected to comprehensive chemical analyses, and treatment effects were evaluated using mixed-effects models, MANOVA, and principal component analysis. The growth of all studied tree species was primarily determined by species identity and time, while neither mulch application nor light conditions had a significant effect. Seedlings of A. pla-tanoides and A. pseudoplatanus reached the greatest height and root collar diameter, clearly out-performing P. sylvestris and P. serotina. Leaf nutrient concentrations also differed markedly among species, with A. pseudoplatanus showing the highest phosphorus content and P. serotina the lowest levels of most macronutrients except magnesium. Soil analyses revealed rapid deple-tion of nitrate, ammonium, and magnesium in substrates associated with P. serotina, indicating its strong impact on nutrient dynamics compared to the more conservative nutrient use by the other species. Prunus serotina has a pronounced influence on soil properties and the structure of accompanying vegetation, acting as an ecosystem engineer and substantially hindering forest management in stands composed of native species. The results indicate that among the analysed taxa, A. pseudoplatanus and A. platanoides display the highest competitive potential against invasive P. serotina, making these species suitable candidates for the restoration of stands affected by its expansion.
